computer science

Sintran

Sintran is a computer science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Sintran rather than just read about it. In short: Sintran (a portmanteau of SINTEF and Fortran; stylized as SINTRAN) is a range of operating systems (OS) for Norsk Data's line of minicomputers. The original version of Sintran, was written in the programming language Fortran, released in 1968, and developed by the Department of Engineering Cybernetics at the Norwegian Institute of Technology together with the affiliated research institute, SINTEF.

Key takeaways

Sintran belongs to computer science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Sintran to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Sintran from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Sintran (a portmanteau of SINTEF and Fortran; stylized as SINTRAN) is a range of operating systems (OS) for Norsk Data's line of minicomputers. The original version of Sintran, was written in the programming language Fortran, released in 1968, and developed by the Department of Engineering Cybernetics at the Norwegian Institute of Technology together with the affiliated research institute, SINTEF. The different incarnations of the OS shared only a name, and to a degree, purpose. Norsk Data took part in developing Sintran II, a multi-user software system that constituted the software platform for the Nord-1 range of terminal servers. By far the most common version of the OS was Sintran III, developed solely by Norsk Data and launched in 1974. This real-time multitasking system was used for Norsk Data's server machines (such as the Nord-10, -100) for the remainder of the company's lifetime, i.e. until 1992.

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Sintran

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Sintran claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In computer science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Sintran before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Sintran ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Sintran

In research: Sintran appears in computer science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Sintran in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Sintran is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Norsk Data software, Operating system stubs, Proprietary operating systems, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Sintran outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Sintran in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Sintran means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Sintran out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Sintran in simple terms?

Why does Sintran matter?

Because it connects several computer science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Sintran?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Sintran.